Pharmaceutical dosage distribution apparatus

Abstract

A pharmaceutical dosage distribution apparatus having at least one enclosure which includes an opening in one side thereof, a door for closing the opening and having thereon locking means for locking the door in its closed position. A plurality of trays are provided, each tray including a plurality of compartments for receiving a predetermined single dosage of medication. Means are associated with each of the compartments for identifying the recipient of each dosage. Rack means are provided in the enclosure for removably receiving the trays. A wheeled cart including frame means slidably receives the enclosures and includes locking means for securing the enclosure in its received position in the frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pharmaceutical dosage distribution apparatus comprising at least one transporting case having an opening in one side thereof, a door closing said opening and coupled to said case for movement between open and closed positions, said open position being within said case, first locking means for holding said door in said closed position, said case having a plurality of tray supports extending generally horizontally inwardly into the interior of said case, a plurality of nurse medicine pass trays adapted to be positioned on said tray supports within said case, each of said trays having a thickness dimension and a plurality of compartments therein for receiving a predetermined single dose of medication in a pre-package having a top and bottom, said tray supports being vertically spaced apart, the distance between said tray supports being less than the sum of the thickness of one of said trays and the distance between said top and bottom of one of said pre-packages, each of said trays having adjacent each of said compartments printed materials having patient and drug identification information thereon relative to the pre-package received in the adjacent compartment, a traveling nurse's station including a frame means having at least three frame compartments, a plurality of closure panels secured to said frame means enclosing at least one of said compartments, one of the remaining compartments having at least a floor, said case being slidably received in the remaining of said compartments, second locking means for locking said case to said frame means in its received position in one of said remaining compartment, said case having means thereon for manually lifting and transporting the same apart from said station, said station having a plurality of wheels operatively connected to said frame means, whereby said transporting case can be loaded at a pharmacy with said nurse medicine pass trays having said pre-packages positioned in said compartments and identified for distribution to patients at an institution at a given time, locked and transported to said institution without disloding said pre-packages from said trays, placed in said remaining compartment of one of said traveling nurse's station located at said institution, locked to said station frame means, and used during nurse's rounds. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said pre-packages have a shape complementary to individual ones of said compartments, each of said plurality of pre-packages further including an outwardly extending peripheral flange, identifying means including a closure element adhesively secured to said peripheral flange. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosed compartment is divided into two "use upon demand" medicine storage sections, both of said sections having closed top, bottom, side and back surfaces, the fronts of said sections being open, doors hingedly secured to said frame means for closing said open fronts of both of said sections, said doors being movable between open and closed positions, third locking means for locking said last mentioned doors in their closed positions. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said case further includes slot means therein extending generally horizontally thereof for securing said door to said case, said door including hinge means slidably received in said slots for hingedly connecting said door to said case, whereby said door can be pivoted to extend laterally outwardly therefrom and can be slidably moved into said transporting case, means for supporting said door within said case. 
     
     
       5. A pharmaceutical dosage distribution apparatus comprising at least one transporting case having an opening in one side thereof, a door closing said opening and coupled to said case for movement between open and closed positions, said open position being within said case, first locking means for holding said door in said closed position, said case having a plurality of tray supports extending generally horizontally inwardly into the interior of said case, a plurality of nurse medicine pass trays adapted to be positioned on said tray supports within said case, each of said trays having a plurality of compartments therein for receiving pre-packages of medication, said tray supports being vertically spaced apart, each of said trays having adjacent each of said compartments printed materials having patient and drug identification information thereon relative to the pre-package received in the adjacent compartment, said trays when positioned on said tray supports are spaced apart but in close proximity to adjacent trays, whereby the overlaying adjacent tray maintains each pre-package of each tray in its own compartment, second locking means for locking said case to a traveling nurse's station, and means for manually lifting and transporting said case apart from said station, whereby said transporting case can be loaded at a pharmacy with said nurse medicine pass trays having said pre-packages positioned in said compartments and identified for distribution to patients at an institution at a given time, locked and transported to said institution without dislodging said pre-packages from said trays, placed in and locked to a traveling nurse's station at said institution, and used during nurse's rounds. 
     
     
       6. A pharmaceutical dosage distribution apparatus comprising at least one transporting case having an opening in one side thereof, a door closing said opening and coupled to said case for movement between open and closed positions, said open position being within said case, first locking means for holding said door in said closed position, said case having a plurality of tray supports extending generally horizontally inwardly into the interior of said case for supporting thereon in a vertically spaced apart relation but in close proximity to adjacent trays a plurality of nurse medicine pass trays having a plurality of compartments therein for receiving pre-packages of medication, whereby the overlaying adjacent try maintains each pre-package of each tray in its own compartment, second locking means for locking said case to a traveling nurse's station, and means for manually lifting and transporting said case apart from said station, whereby said transporting case can be loaded at a pharmacy with said nurse medicine pass trays having said pre-packages positioned in said compartments and identified for distribution to patients at an institution at a given time, locked and transported to said institution without dislodging said pre-packages from said trays, placed in and locked to a traveling nurse's station at an institution, and used during nurse's rounds.